# Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

> German-born British-American author (1927-2013)

**Wikidata**: [Q235759](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q235759)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Prawer_Jhabvala)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ruth-prawer-jhabvala

## Summary
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala was a German-born British-American novelist and screenwriter, best known for her long-standing collaboration with the film production team Merchant Ivory. She is the only person to have won both the Booker Prize for fiction and an Academy Award for screenwriting.

## Biography
- **Born**: May 7, 1927
- **Died**: April 3, 2013
- **Nationality**: German (by birth in the German Reich), British, American
- **Education**: Queen Mary University of London
- **Occupation**: Novelist, Screenwriter, Writer
- **Affiliations**: Royal Society of Literature (Member)
- **Website**: https://ruthprawerjhabvala.com/

## Contributions
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala built a distinguished career spanning both literature and cinema. As a novelist, she authored numerous works of fiction, establishing her reputation in the literary world. As a screenwriter, she was the primary writer for the film production team Merchant Ivory, adapting complex literary works into acclaimed films. Her dual career resulted in a body of work that bridged the gap between the page and the screen, influencing the genre of period drama and literary adaptation.

## FAQs
**What major awards did Ruth Prawer Jhabvala receive?**
She received the Booker Prize for her fiction and the Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay. She also won BAFTA Awards, Writers Guild of America Awards, an O. Henry Award, and was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

**What academic and professional institutions was she affiliated with?**
She was educated at Queen Mary University of London and was a member of the Royal Society of Literature. She also received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation.

**What was her professional background?**
She was a professional writer working in the fields of novels, film screenwriting, and general literature. She is recognized as a human entity (instance of: human) with a prolific output in these creative fields.

## Why They Matter
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala matters for her unique position as a bridge between high literature and popular cinema. Her ability to translate dense literary narratives into successful screenplays helped define the aesthetic of the "Merchant Ivory" film genre, which dominated art-house cinema in the 1980s and 1990s. Her achievement in winning both the Booker Prize and an Oscar highlights a rare mastery of two distinct narrative forms. Her work preserved and popularized classic literary works for new generations, ensuring their continued relevance in global culture.

## Notable For
-   **Booker Prize Winner**: Recognized for her contribution to fiction.
-   **Academy Award Winner**: Won for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay.
-   **Dual Citizenship**: Held British and American nationality.
-   **MacArthur Fellow**: Recognized for her creative genius.
-   **Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)**: Honored for her services to literature.
-   **Merchant Ivory Collaborator**: Primary screenwriter for the renowned production team.
-   **O. Henry Award Recipient**: Recognized for her short stories.
-   **Writers Guild of America Award Winner**: Honored for her screenwriting achievements.
-   **BAFTA Award Winner**: Recognized for Best Adapted Screenplay.

## Body
### Early Life and Education
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala was born on May 7, 1927, in the German Reich. She later emigrated, becoming a naturalized British and subsequently American citizen. Her educational background includes studies at Queen Mary University of London, a public research university and constituent college of the federal University of London. This academic foundation in London preceded her entry into the literary world.

### Literary Career
Jhabvala established herself as a prominent novelist and writer. Her standing in the literary community was cemented by her membership in the Royal Society of Literature, a prestigious society based in London. Her fiction writing received significant accolades, including the Booker Prize, a major British literary award established in 1969. She also received the O. Henry Award, an American award for short stories, demonstrating her versatility across literary forms.

### Screenwriting and Film Career
Transitioning into film, Jhabvala became a celebrated screenwriter. Her work in this field was recognized with the Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay, a category of film award established in 1929. She also won the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and the Writers Guild of America Award, an award established in 1949. Her screenwriting was further supported by a Guggenheim Fellowship, a grant awarded annually in the arts.

### Recognition and Honors
Throughout her career, Jhabvala accumulated numerous prestigious honors. She was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, a rank within the British honors system. In the United States, she was selected for the MacArthur Fellows Program, a prize awarded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. These awards highlight her transatlantic recognition and impact in both literary and cinematic arts.

### Identifiers and Legacy
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's life and work are extensively cataloged across global knowledge bases. She holds identifiers in major library and authority systems, including the Library of Congress (n50038610), VIAF (54149447), and ISNI (0000000122800357). Her IMDb identifier is nm0695609. She passed away on April 3, 2013. Her legacy is preserved through her official website and her extensive bibliography and filmography.

## References

1. BnF authorities
2. Integrated Authority File
3. [Source](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1993)
4. [Source](https://thebookerprizes.com/fiction/backlist/1975)
5. International Standard Name Identifier
6. Virtual International Authority File
7. CiNii Research
8. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
9. SNAC
10. FemBio database
11. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie
12. Proleksis Encyclopedia
13. Third World Women's Literatures
14. [Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Screenwriter, Dies at 85|nytimes.com](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/04/movies/ruth-prawer-jhabvala-writer-dies-at-85.html?hp)
15. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
16. [Source](https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-476-03702-2_297)
17. CONOR.SI
18. Autoritats UB
19. BBC Things
20. The Movie Database
21. LIBRIS. 2013
22. Cinemathèque québécoise Linked Open Data
23. Catalogo of the National Library of India